
Malaysia and Singapore explore GovTech, public housing, and public sector reform collaboration
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Singapore are exploring collaboration in government technology (GovTech), public housing, and public sector reform to improve public service delivery, following a three-day official visit to Singapore by the Chief Secretary to the Malaysian Government, Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, The Star reported.
He said at the MRSM Malaysia Alumni Association's sports carnival that Malaysia aims to 'learn from Singapore,' where GovTech is already in place, while Malaysia is still preparing to launch its own.
He also mentioned Singapore's affordable housing system, developed through the city-state's Housing and Development Board, and public sector reform as two other areas Malaysia wants to learn from.
Mr Shamsul Azri said Singapore welcomed the idea of working together and sharing best practices to improve public service quality in both countries.
Earlier in his speech at the event, he cited Singapore's average life expectancy of 83.5 years—compared to about 75 in Malaysia—and also urged Malaysians to focus on prevention by eating better and staying active through sports. 'We must remember that prevention is better than cure,' he added. /TISG
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AsiaOne
23 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Over 280 applications, 0 offers: Fresh grad's year-long job hunt highlights new jobseeker woes , Singapore News
She had graduated with a bachelor's degree from the National University of Singapore's Business School in April 2024, but it has taken her more than a year to secure a full-time job. The 25-year-old, who wanted to be known as Adeline, has been working in a marketing agency since June. She told AsiaOne that her job hunt saw her apply for various positions in government agencies, multinational corporations as well as small- and medium-sized enterprises. Amid the tears and growing resignation, she still managed to create an Excel sheet to track her progress. Out of 287 applications, Adeline reached the initial HR screening for 12 positions. She advanced to interviews with hiring managers for eight of those and completed the full interview process for four roles — only to be either ghosted or ultimately told she was not the right fit. 'In that sense, a lot of time and effort was invested with little to no progress,' added Adeline. Adeline's experiences are a reflection of the recent struggles of other fresh graduates in their job search. The latest annual graduate employment surveys conducted by local universities and polytechnics show that fewer of their fresh graduates secured full-time employment in 2024. For fresh graduates from the universities, 79.5 per cent of them secured full-time jobs in 2024, down from 84.1 per cent in 2023. Employment outcomes for polytechnic graduates also declined, with 54.6 per cent of them in full-time permanent jobs in 2024, down from about 60 per cent in 2023. Yvonne Tan, a certified Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) senior professional, told AsiaOne that economic uncertainty is the reason why some businesses are hiring fewer fresh graduates. 'Many are focusing on cost control and prefer experienced hires who can contribute immediately,' she said. Tan observed that the technology industry has seen the largest decline in entry-level openings. 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She pointed out how institutes of higher learning are stepping up to help graduates having difficulties in their job search — offering career coaching, networking opportunities, upskilling courses, and organising career fairs. There are also moves by schools to highlight graduates' soft skills to potential employers, as hiring moves towards a skills-first model. One such initiative is the Singapore Management University's co-curricular transcript, which its graduating class of 2025 will receive on top of their academic transcript. A first among universities here, the transcript indicates the skill sets the student has developed through their co-curricular activities, and the extent to which the individual has developed these skill sets through progressive levels. Besides a documentation of a student's growth, Professor Paulin Straughan, SMU's dean of students, told AsiaOne that the co-curricular transcript will help fresh graduates, who typically do not have much formal work experience, to stand out during the hiring process. 'We heard from employers how very often it was challenging to identify applicants who already possess critical core skills and the right attributes to contribute effectively at the workplace,' she said. 'These are qualities that aren't captured in an applicant's academic grades or grade point average.' While schools can give students a lift in their job prospects, HR professional Tan said that fresh graduates can boost their employability by gaining real-world experience through part-time jobs or internships during school breaks. 'Taking short learning courses, even those unrelated to their field of study such as artificial intelligence or digital tools, can help them stay relevant and stand out to employers," she added. 'Silver lining' in latest data Despite the gloomy outlook, Tan observed that the employment prospects for fresh graduates will improve in the next six to 12 months — though recovery will be slow. 'There might be contract roles available, and fresh grads who are open to such opportunities will be better positioned to benefit,' she added. Manpower Minister Tan See Leng had also expressed a similar view about keeping an open mind, adding that he sees some "silver lining" based on employment data. Calling for graduates and parents to 'stay calm', he pointed out during a Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce press conference on July 10 that the employment rate for the 2025 university graduating cohort was 51.9 per cent in June. This is four percentage points higher than the rate in June 2024. "We have heard, for instance, about these fresh graduates who may face anxieties starting their careers in these turbulent times,' he said. "We understand their anxieties, but we want them to be assured that there is support available." [[nid:719202]] chingshijie@


CNA
23 minutes ago
- CNA
Singapore firms trail region in plans for automation, AI; expect limited job impact: Study
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The report sought to understand how businesses in seven Southeast Asian countries view four areas of economic transformation: automation and digitalisation, sustainability practices, regulation and governance, and cooperation through regional institutions. Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam were included in this study. In Singapore, the survey was led by National University of Singapore (NUS) in collaboration with the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), and involved trade associations and chambers including the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. The report was released a week before an upcoming IPS-SBF conference titled "Global-City Singapore: SG60 and Beyond". Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong are expected to speak at the conference, which will be held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre on Jul 29. Researchers received 209 responses from companies in Singapore, but only 101 were valid – the others did not meet the threshold of completing at least 25 per cent of the questions. The survey was conducted in 2023 and 2024. WHERE THINGS STAND Automation is widely adopted in Singapore, but the study found that implementation of automation occurs at a lower level. About 13.2 per cent of companies reported that they do not use any automation in their business, and nearly 70 per cent use automation in only up to 25 per cent of their business processes. Around 14 per cent of Singapore respondents have automated between 26 and 50 per cent of their tasks, while only 2.63 per cent use automation in more than half of their work. None of the Singapore businesses surveyed reported that they are fully automated. 'While no firms in the Singapore sample report full automation, most firms have adopted at least some form of automation, an indication of the country's universal exposure to digitalisation, even among smaller firms,' the report said. In terms of advanced automation, 21 per cent of Singapore respondents said they had adopted the use of industrial robots in their processes, second only to Cambodia at 21.9 per cent. As for artificial intelligence and machine learning, Malaysia topped the rankings at 24 per cent, followed by Singapore at 19 per cent. 'These trends suggest an openness to advanced technologies, though full transformation remains gradual,' the report said. Looking ahead to the next three years, Singapore-based companies have expressed 'strong intentions' to deepen automation, but at a slower pace than respondents in neighbouring countries. For example, 39.6 per cent of Cambodian firms, 33 per cent of Malaysian businesses and 31 per cent of Indonesian companies plan to automate more than 50 per cent of their tasks in the next three years. By contrast, only 5.4 per cent of Singapore firms intend for more than half of their tasks to be automated in the same period. Singapore firms' 'steady, incremental approach' reflects their measured pace of technological adoption, which is shaped by sectoral demands and workforce considerations, researchers said. They noted that investment in digital technologies is widespread in Singapore, but focuses on operational efficiency and incremental increases in automation, instead of transformational change and large-scale technological overhauls. 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Independent Singapore
26 minutes ago
- Independent Singapore
'No career, no friends, no way out: Is the government sector a dead end?'
SINGAPORE: In the corridors of a government bureau, an employee sits gaping vacantly at the computer screen. Around, co-workers chatter over cups of steaming coffee, while others scroll through their phones nonchalantly. In the silence, a digital clamour is posted to Reddit: 'Anyone else miserable working in the government sector?' It was a question that hit a nerve with several fellow public servants and netizens. The original poster depicted a drab picture — a noxious workplace where gossip is currency, ambition is castigated, and people turn on others in a frantic clamber for limited prospects. 'Some in my department don't even pretend to look busy,' the poster bewailed. 'They openly play games on their phones. Others spend half the day gossiping… Information is weaponised. I don't have a single friend here, and I trust no one.' However, most hurtful was the comparison to peers in the private sector: 'Most of my friends earn several times more. Their grind feels worth it. I'm so jealous of my friend who resigned without a job lined up—she could afford to. I feel stuck here forever.' A familiar struggle What ensued was a torrent of reactions; a few were compassionate, others critical, but all profoundly expressive of the current public service experience. 'It sounds like a localised issue,' one netizen said. 'There are government departments where work overflows and people are swamped.' Another, more battle-hardened from experience, offered his opinion without the euphemisms: 'I've worked in three different agencies and all of them burnt me out mentally and physically. If you're pushing for promotion, you're in the rat race, but if you want to earn more, you need to get out. Government experience may not translate well to the private sector. It's your call.' For many, the sentiment was that the 'iron rice bowl,' a rewording for job security in the public sector, comes with its veiled risks. 'Sure, it's stable,' one commenter said. 'But it's an iron bowl on boiling water.' Is the grass greener? As the poster's observation triggered arguments, an obvious theme surfaced — the legend of the 'better' sector. See also AI may impact high-skilled professional jobs the most in SG 'Private sector may not necessarily be better,' several Redditors pointed out. 'You could be overworked and underpaid. At least here, you're underpaid but not overworked!' For the others, the stress-free pace of government work was a secret blessing: 'It's good to have little to do and still be earning income, lol.' However, not everyone viewed it that way. Others talked of government jobs with overwhelming assignments, extreme KPIs, and diminutive recognition. 'I work in the public sector too,' one netizen joined. 'It's always so busy for us—I wonder what line of work you're in!' The real enemy — disillusionment Underneath the opinions over workload, compensation, and status lies something more profound — disillusionment. The original poster's disappointment and misery aren't just about cash or toxic colleagues; it's about that sense of being trapped in a system where work devotion and trustworthiness don't result in progress, and effort doesn't always equate to reward and promotions. 'Even the scholars don't make as much as those in the private sector,' the original poster wrote. 'But at least they have the prestige.' Why am I staying? What would it take to leave? The thread echoed a universal truth — workplace unhappiness isn't exclusive to any one segment. Office politics, exhaustion, and inertia can be found in both public and private realms. What's important is positioning one's values with the environment, and not being scared of re-evaluating one's path. The original poster may still be at that solitary small table. But in expressing his frustrations online, he has kindled an unpretentious and candid dialogue, one that might help others ask the same tough question: Why do I stay? And what would it take to leave?